| MadSci Network: Other |
Julia, You have good questions here!!! 1) If you go "by the book", you can graduate from most colleges with a B.S. in four years (but the average is 5). A Masters will add 2 to 3 more and a PhD will take 4 to 6. All of these vary depending on your program, the school, and your interests. (I suggest to all of the college students that you do an internship during college. This might mean taking a semester out of school, but the knowledge and experience will more than offset the lost time.) 2) To find out what qualifications you need to get into college in genetic engineering, I would strongly suggest that you call the schools you are interested in. The qualifications will vary depending on the school and what academic program you are in. There are several disciplines that work with genetic engineering including agronomy, horticulture, animal science, vet science, medical science, and pharmacy. To be general, you need excellent math and science skills, a good score on the entrance exam (SAT or ACT). You also need a passion for learning. Genetic engineering is changing fast. Techniques I learned in college 5 years ago have been radically improved and in many cases are totally obsolete. Because of the rapid changes, you have to be willing to keep learning well after you finish school. 3) Salary will vary with the career. A lab tech at a college (B.S.) might make $20-25k while a lead scientist (PhD) with a private corporation might make in the $100k range. It is really hard to generalize as positions will vary widely depending on where they are (university, industry, government). Again, I suggest you look to placement offices at your university of choice. They will have more comprehensive (and up-to-date) information. I hope this helps!!! Eric Biddinger Extension Educator, Purdue University Cooperative Extension, St. Joseph County
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